Former Sri Lankan ambassador to U.S. Jaliya Wickramasuriya granted bail

COLOMBO: A Sri Lankan court on Friday granted bail to the former Sri Lankan Ambassador to U.S. Jaliya Wickramasuriya, who was arrested by the Financial Crimes Investigations Division (FCID) last year on charges of financial fraud. Colombo Fort Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne released Wickramasuriya on strict bail conditions considering his ill health.

Wickramasuriya was receiving treatment in a private hospital in Colombo during his remand. The Director of the private hospital has submitted a medical report to the court stating that the former Ambassador is receiving treatment for many illnesses. The Magistrate upon consideration of the medical report released Wickramasuriya on a cash bail of 50,000 rupees and two sureties of one million rupees each. Wickramasuriya was banned from foreign travel and ordered to submit his passport to the Court.

The Former Ambassador was arrested by the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) of the Police on November 18, 2016 for allegedly misusing state resources during the tenure of the previous United People’s Freedom Alliance led government. Wickramasuriya, a relative of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa has been accused of allegedly accepting a US$ 332,000 commission while serving as the Sri Lankan Ambassador in Washington.